This invention relates generally to beds for prone positions, and more particularly an apparatus that allows a patient recovering from eye surgery to comfortably lie face-down on conventional home furniture. Certain eye surgeries require that a gas bubble remain against the back of the eye during recovery. This is achieved by having the patient lie face-down for a prolonged period of time. The present invention is an apparatus designed to provide support for the head and neck while face-down in a variety of positions, in a manner that provides maximum comfort to the patient while recuperating at home. Improved comfort for women is realized by providing a structure that accommodates a patient's breasts while prone.
After eye surgeries wherein the vitreous gel of the eye is removed and replaced with a gas bubble, optimum recovery occurs if the gas bubble is continually maintained in the back of the eye. This is achieved by maintaining a face-down posture twenty-four hours a day for one to four weeks. Liquid fills the front of the eye while the lighter gas floats to the back of the eye when lying prone
Unfortunately, however, lying face-down for an extended period of time is not comfortable to most people. When lying face-down on conventional furniture such as a bed or couch it is difficult to breathe because the face is suffocated by the surrounding cushioning. The head and spine are not in comfortable alignment, arm and body positions are restricted, and the skin on the face chafes due to constant Contact with the cushioning. However, if the patient lies on his bed with his head over hanging the edge to allow him to breathe, the head falls below the level of the mattress at an uncomfortable angle. Many women may suffer even more discomfort because it is painful or uncomfortable to lie flat on their breasts.
Various types of equipment have been developed for the commercial or hospital setting where prone positioning is required. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,064 issued to Voss discloses a head support for face-down positions during surgery. The device is a foam support with a center T-shaped void on which the patient's face rests and through which the patient can breathe. The support can be positioned directly on top of a conventional operating table leaving the head in a higher position than the body, or the support can be attached to a plate extending from the underside of the surgery table so that the head is in a lower position. While performing well for operating tables, the Voss device is not viable for recuperating at home because it is not readily used in conjunction with conventional home furniture. Using this device at home would require putting a disproportionately large surgery table in a patient's home, which is quite discomforting and not conducive to resuming relatively normal activities during recovery. Furthermore, the table will not accommodate a woman's breasts.
A Similar type of apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,668 which discloses a therapeutic headrest device for use during massage or chiropractic therapy. An inflatable pillow rests on a frame that extends from the head of the therapy table. The pillow is held in place by upwardly-projecting flanges that keep the pillow from sliding about. The pillow and frame have aligned holes through which the patient breathes. Like the Voss device, however, this device is not readily used in conjunction with conventional home furniture and will not accommodate a woman's breasts.
Commercial equipment that is not readily used at home poses several problems. Foremost, without proper equipment the patient is less likely to properly maintain a prone posture keeping the gas bubble at the back of the eye, and is therefore less likely to make full recovery. Second, the cost of using commercial equipment at home is prohibitive. Finally, a full size commercial therapy bed is ungainly and is not easily accommodated in most patients' homes. The combination of these and other factors pose problems for patients who desire to recuperate at home.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus that allows a patient to maintain a prone position for extended periods of time so that a gas bubble remains at the back of the eye, aiding recovery from eye surgery. It is a further object of this invention to provide a device that provides uniform pressure to the face which thereby supports the head and neck in comfortable alignment while a person lies face-down. It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus that achieves comfort for a variety of prone positions. It is another object of this invention to provide recovery equipment that can be readily used in conjunction with conventional home furniture.